] The last of this year's big routers has arrived, as
] Juniper Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR - message board)
] today is launching its TX Matrix, the basis for its
] multichassis core router (see Juniper Intros TX Matrix ).
]
] The TX is an interconnection hub linking four of
] Juniper's T640 boxes so they behave as one honkin'
] router. Juniper is the last of the major router vendors
] to announce a multichassis architecture. Avici Systems
] Inc. (Nasdaq: AVCI - message board; Frankfurt: BVC7) has
] been selling one with its TSR, and Cisco Systems Inc.
] (Nasdaq: CSCO - message board) went multichassis with its
] CRS-1 Carrier Routing System, launched in May (see Cisco
] Unveils the HFR ).
]...
] The announcement comes with only two major surprises.
] First, the TX connects four T640s rather than eight as
] promised in 2002. That's because the market for really
] big routers hasn't exactly blossomed yet. Future versions
] will support larger numbers of routers -- the TX has the
] capacity to connect dozens of them -- but Juniper won't
] commit to a larger size until carriers' future needs
] become clearer, says Tom Jacobs, senior marketing
] manager.
]
] The other surprise is that Juniper can't yet point to any
] paying customers for the TX.

No one is buying them (CRS-1 and TX and...) but they have to make them in a perversion of "if they build it they will come". Juniper will probably be very successful with this, as the 640 does have some traction, and it sounds like the base TX can handle as many 640s as a customer would want; so for the customer not quite ready to commit to the major overhaul, accumulating 640s now makes even more sense.

Juniper is up to 29% of the core router market? Zowie.

Light Reading - Networking the Telecom Industry